1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shared vehicle port and a method and an apparatus for controlling the shared vehicle port in a shared vehicle operating system.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. Hei 10-255782 and Hei 10-255781, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Background Art
To alleviate traffic jams and to utilize energy effectively, the present applicant proposes a shared vehicle operating system (in Japanese Patent Applications, First Publication Nos. Hei 8-110997, Hei 8-111908, and Hei 8-147555).
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the introduction of the shared vehicle operating system.
As shown in this figure, the shared vehicle operating system includes shared vehicle ports 100 distributed over the area. Users can park the shared vehicles 101 in the shared vehicle ports 100.
The user rents the shared vehicle 101 from the nearest shared vehicle port 100, goes to his destination by the shared vehicle 101, and returns the shared vehicle 101 to the shared vehicle port 100 nearest the destination. The returned shared vehicle 101 is parked in the shared vehicle port 100, and will be used by another user who goes to another destination.
This shared vehicle operating system provides shared vehicles 101 to a number of users, thereby eliminating traffic jams and utilizing energy effectively.
Next, the shared vehicle port will be explained below.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of a conventional shared vehicle port.
In this figure, reference numeral 102 denotes a gateway, and reference numeral 103 denotes a parking area for the shared vehicles. The shared vehicles goes in and out of the shared vehicle ports 100 through the gateway 102.
The above shared vehicle port, however, cannot simultaneously allow the entrance and the exit of the shared vehicles to and from the shared vehicle port 100. Therefore, the shared vehicles cannot move in and out smoothly.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shared vehicle port and a method for controlling the same, which allow the shared vehicles to move in and out smoothly.
The shared vehicle port of the present invention for automatically parking and delivering a shared vehicle used by a plurality of users, comprises: an automatic driving area having a passenger loading area and a passenger unloading area separated from each other and being connected to a vehicle passage via the passenger loading area and the passenger unloading area; and a user waiting area adjacent to the vehicle passage, the passenger loading area, and the passenger unloading area.
According to the invention, shared vehicles arrive at the passenger unloading area while they separately start from the passenger loading area. Thus, the entrance and exit of the shared vehicles can be accomplished smoothly.
In another aspect of the invention, the user waiting area includes a port terminal for performing operations to rent and return the shared vehicle.
To rent the shared vehicle, the user performs the rental operation to rent the vehicle through the port terminal in the user waiting area adjacent the passenger loading area, and immediately gets into the vehicle in the passenger loading area. To return the shared vehicle, the user exits the vehicle in the passenger unloading area, and immediately performs the returning operation to return the vehicle through the port terminal in the user waiting area. Thus, the rental operation is performed just before the user gets into the vehicle, the returning operation is performed just after the user exits the vehicle. This simplifies the management of the users who rent and return the vehicles.
In another aspect of the invention, an automatic entrance door, which is locked when no shared vehicle is parked in the passenger loading area, is provided between the passenger loading area and the user waiting area, and an automatic exit door, which is locked when no shared vehicle is parked in the passenger unloading area, is provided between the passenger unloading area and the user waiting area.
The automatic entrance door is opened only when a shared vehicle stops in the passenger loading area, while the automatic exit door is opened only when a shared vehicle stops in the passenger unloading area. This invention completely separates the users and the automatically driven shared vehicles.
In another aspect of the invention, the method for controlling a shared vehicle port for automatically parking and delivering a shared vehicle used by a plurality of users, comprises the steps of: performing a rental procedure for renting the shared vehicle according to an operation from a user waiting area adjacent to a vehicle passage, a passenger loading area, and a passenger unloading area; sending an instruction to automatically deliver the shared vehicle after completion of the rental procedure; moving the shared vehicle to the passenger loading area adjacent to the vehicle passage according to the instruction to deliver the shared vehicle; performing a returning procedure for returning the shared vehicle according to an operation from the user waiting area; sending an instruction to automatically park the shared vehicle after the return of said shared vehicle has been completed; and moving the shared vehicle, which is parked in the passenger unloading area adjacent to the vehicle passage, to a shared vehicle parking area.
When the rental procedure is performed, the shared vehicle is moved to the passenger loading area according to the instruction to automatically deliver the vehicle. When the returning procedure is performed, the shared vehicle is moved to the shared car parking area according to the instruction to automatically park the vehicle. These processes are performed separately in the passenger loading area and the passenger unloading area. Therefore, the entrance and exit of the shared vehicles are performed smoothly.
In another aspect of the invention, the method further comprises the steps of: unlocking an automatic entrance door between the passenger loading area and the user waiting area when the shared vehicle stops in the passenger loading area; and unlocking an automatic exit door between the passenger unloading area and the user waiting area when the shared vehicle stops in the passenger unloading area.
The automatic entrance door is opened only when a shared vehicle stops in the passenger loading area, while the automatic exit door is opened only when a shared vehicle stops in the passenger unloading area. This invention completely separates the users and the automatically driven shared vehicles.
In another aspect of the invention, the method further comprises the steps of: opening a passenger loading area gate between the passenger loading area and the vehicle passage when a user gets into the shared vehicle in the passenger loading area; closing the passenger loading area gate when the shared vehicle exits to the vehicle passage; opening a passenger unloading area gate between the passenger unloading area and the vehicle passage when the shared vehicle reaches the shared vehicle port; and closing the passenger unloading area gate when the shared vehicle stops at the passenger unloading area.
The passenger loading area gate is opened only when the shared vehicle goes out, while the passenger unloading area gate is opened only when the shared vehicle goes in. Therefore, a vehicle other than a shared vehicle cannot enter the passenger loading area and the passenger unloading area.